Pittsburgh - New Beers & Local Breweries

Not my list, man. Follow Ed Vidunas (@PGHPUBS) on twitter.

 

I've had several pretty tasty IPA's that look like a glass of pineapple juice. Then I have also had quite a few that are good up front but become astringent / abrasively bitter and hard to finish (some say that's "juicy", I say it burns my throat). Most everything I've read explains that is caused by the left over hop particles and yeast from not clearing. A good beer is a good beer but there is also a difference in hazy and murky turbid ... Either way it's good to see new beers around the area and businesses expanding. Always fun trying new stuff

 

I may be in the minority but I completely ignore the XX/100 number and solely look at the average which in this instance is 4.35/5. That's pretty damn high. The XX/100 number factors in number of reviews which may not tell the whole story.

It's been so long since I've had the AB GNVP so I can't really intelligently comment. I did really enjoy it probably equally as much as the BT treatment.

My one and only very minor complaint about this iteration is that I was hoping for a bigger body. It's not thin by any means but I prefer a bigger bodied stout.

 

Yup, those breweries all almost certainly existed.

The geography however might be a little lacking to say that there were 26 South Side breweries. Hilltop Brewing Co. for example is listed as South Side but was in Mount Oliver, the building is still partly extant. So depending on how South Side is defined today (I assume people are really only talking about the flats), there may be less than 26 but more than 0.

Of course, some would have been in Birmingham, so they weren't really Pittsburgh breweries anyway.

 

Figured I was in the minority in that I prefer the bourbon to apple brandy, even though my love of abgm is well documented (seriously, and I freaking love skeumorph too).

Honestly I didn't get a ton of the barrel from abgnvp and still loved the beer, but I dig the bourbon and oak presence in the new version.

Both are awesome, however.

 

Hey all. Got a 64oz growler fill of Abner from Hill Farmstead late last week. I've had a good amount of it, so I'd like to find a home for it to someone who hasn't had it in exchange for stuff I haven't had. I'm in the South Hills, so I'd love to set up a quick IP trade with someone before it gets bad. Shoot me a DM if interested and maybe we can work something out.

Cheers.

 

I'm hoping voodoo can correct me if I am wrong, but from what I saw on BA, there are different ingredients (fuck you to anyone who says adjuncts when talking about peppers, coconut, etc.) this go around. The apple brandy version had Madagascar vanilla beans, cacao nibs, cinnamon and ghost peppers. This Buffalo Trace version has all of those with the addition of maple syrup. I do also remember that certain tappings last year at VoHo was the version with just maple syrup. Again, this is just info from BA, so it absolutely could be wrong seeing as any jackass can add a beer. I love them both, but there is something about a brandy barrel that works so well with the cinnamon and spice of the chilies. This bourbon version is incredible as was the brandy. Please God, don't ever make me choose (I'd choose brandy). Maybe rum or rye whiskey can be next.... ahem.

 

My comment was kinda tongue-in-cheek. I've no reason to doubt total strangers online you guys.

 

Just for the record I also enjoyed both versions, just that I enjoyed the AB more than the BT. I was unaware of the maple syrup addition. Still looking forward to have both together though.

 

Would you say it's thinner than BBVD? If so, then I understand why you were expecting a bigger body. But BBVD just is not that thick of a stout (EDIT: not that it's thin in any way...just comparatively speaking). So that's always my baseline expectation for the body with the GNVP variants...

 

Very true. I can't say there is much of a discernible difference between one or the other. But I didn't say I was expecting a bigger body, just wishing it had one.

 

Strictly speaking to your comparison of scores between the 2, I think its too early to compare them. You gotta wait till more non-homer reviews trickle in. (Ya know, the unbiased reviews that arnt trying to inflate trade value.)

AB GNVP was one of the finest beers I drank the year it was released and easily the most memorable. It had fantastic balance of base beer, barrel character and advertised adjuncts. For my taste, it had the perfect amount of spice that was noticeable without reducing its drinkability.

I typically tend to enjoy apple brandy barrel aged beers more than bourbon but I still have big expectations for the BT version. Somewhat related - I have found that I enjoy the base beer voodoo daddy more and more with every passing year. (If Rowdychalkster is clowning with the recipes, they are seriously getting much better and I place full confidence in BT GNVP being even better than its predecessor.)

I'll post my opinion/review in greater detail once I get some into my face.

 

I'm of this opinion as well...I've always really liked it...but it does seem to be getting better somehow.

 

I may have to revisit newer versions of BBVD then. Always loved that beer, its what got me into VooDoo in the first place. I have slowly been dwindling down my past years purchases of cases of BBVD, you know when that was a thing, so I havent bought any in a few years.

 

Cinnamon roll wake n bake bottles at MD Robinson

 

I liked the AB version better and thought the BT was a little thin. Maybe the maple syrup played a role in that, who knows.

Loved both though.

 

I won't shy away either, but a lot of the hazy beers are just so rough on the throat because of

I was going to say something similar too! I am in this same boat!

 

Pretty sure BA is wrong. VoHo wouldn't have had a special version, whatever was tapped at VoHo I imagine was kegged from the same batch as what was bottled last go around.

I think on not tapped both the ABGNVP and GNVP aged in bourbon are listed as the same ingredients and it doesn't specify what peppers were used. I think they do a pretty good job of maintaining that site, so I imagine that's right?

 

Pretty sure the beer IS BBVD.........then with the additions.....but my Spanish isn't very good.

 

Mind=blown

 

That's what I was trying to say...which is why I've always expected the same body as BBVD for GNVP.

 

The GNVP is sold out

 

This was the first year of BBVD I loved fresh compared to usually letting it sit at least a year.......

Did you get any? You must have hit dem trade boards harrrrrrrrrrd.

 

Hahah Really?

 

No hablo espanol

 

Like a dummy, it slipped past me as well. My father in law was holding his bottle and started going "big ... black ... voodoo ... and I assume papi means dad or father?"

 

Ay Papi.....

 

What temp did you drink the BT at? I didn't have but a sip of it so I don't have an opinion but I did notice it was served in the Pittsburgh tradition of cold as the Alleghenies. Perhaps the temp skewed your perception?

 

Yeah i always find myself ordering a second draft to drink while my first one warms up

 

This is definitely a possibility, and you are correct about the serving temperature. Still not sure why establishments continue with this inappropriate practice.

 

It's like they're having a contest to see who can serve the coldest stout in town.

 

Dumb question. What's the ideal way to serve a cold keg's contents warm? Warm the glass like it's done with spirits? Bartender shoving snifters down their pants?

 

Control refrigeration temps

 

Warmer lines leads to more dissolved CO2 escaping and therefore more $ down the drain (literally) for the businesses. I agree that often beers are served too cold, but it's easier to warm post-pour than it is to chill I guess.

 

Not entirely feasible for most places but when I was at Side Project last year, they had multiple refrigerators set at different temps depending on the style. They even listed the serving temperature on their board.

 

Bingo, co2 starts to come out of solution in the low 40s. Also if beer would be served at cellar temp it would speed up microbial growth and could ruin the lines or keg of beer.

 

You guys are crazy, the colder the better. Always ask for a frosted mug, especially for stouts.

 

To echo Andy, draft is designed to operate around 34-38 degrees. Brewer's Association draft quality manual even cites this several times that beer should be maintained in this range from keg to glass.

Just search "38°F" http://www.draughtquality.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/DQM_Full_Final.pdf

Basically it is akin to getting coffee hot. It is hot so you can let it cool to a temperature you want to start drinking it and it will continue cooling until you finish it. Let the beer warm to a temperature you would like to start drinking it and it will continue to warm until you empty the glass. Unless you're living the High Life you're going to want almost all beer warm in your hand a couple minutes at least.

Unless you are doing bottle service, cellar temp beer is just asking for trouble.

 

Thanks for these responses fellas...truly had no idea. Here I thought I knew it all.